"Individual pop-up shops come and go, but the pop-up trend is here to stay, according to a new report by real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield.
Pop-up shops, whether they are promoting a new digital brand or a new Netflix show, will be a permanent part of the retail landscape going forward, said Garrick Brown, vice president, retail intelligence at Cushman & Wakefield and the author of the report.
Retail is undergoing its biggest period of change since the birth of the suburban malls in the 1950s and 1960s, Brown said in an interview, and pop-ups will be part of that change.
Much of the current pop-up activity is being driven by the softness in the retail real estate market, with empty storefronts making it easier for brands to do short-term pop-up deals.
While pop-ups can be a sign of retail pain, they also are a reason to be positive about the future of retail real estate, Brown said.
“Obviously, if you’re a landlord you prefer permanent deals,” Brown said. “But what I think gets lost in that is how many different types of tenants that never used retail space at all are suddenly showing up. Eventually this is going to be a very positive story for retail,” he said.
“I see pop-ups as being where you get a microcosm of everything that’s going to be part of the new retail landscape, whether it’s the new digitally native brands, or the emphasis on experiential retail, or as a way for department stores to try to recreate themselves and add buzz and excitement,” Brown said."
Verdon, Joan 2019, Pop-Up Shops Are Anything But A Temporary Trend, Forbes, <https://www.forbes.com/sites/joanverdon/2019/12/17/pop-up-shops-arent-going-away-and-heres-what-that-means-for-retailers-and-landlords/?sh=418cec439543>.